THE LXD: EXPERIENCE THE EVOLUTION

OWL AND THE SPARROW - OPENS TODAY

An incredible film that transcends language and culture, Owl and the Sparrow takes you on a humble journey of heartfelt emotion and warmth. Winner of the Audience Award at the 2007 Los Angeles International Film Festival, the film opens in limited release today and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Go and see it, you won't be disappointed.

JACKIE CHAN IN KARATE KID REMAKE

The film that probably inspired millions of kids to get their yellow belts (not to mention the ubiquitous Crane Kick) is making its big screen comeback. That's right folks, Variety announced that a remake of The Karate Kid will be starring Jackie Chan (as Mr. Miyagi) and Will Smith's son, Jaden Smith -- although the porn-friendly San Fernando Valley will now be substituted for the streets of Beijing. Hopefully Cobra Kai will be able to live on though!

IP MAN

In terms of acting, Donnie Yen is the Keanu Reeves of Asia -- but good thing he is an expert in whoop ass. This scene from IP MAN is flat out awesome. Based on the legendary martial arts teacher, YIP MAN (whose most famous pupil was Bruce Lee) - the film serves up some serious action. I doubled my sperm count just watching the trailer.

THE WRESTLER

Quietly powerful with bursts of emotional intensity, Darren Aronofsky's latest film features his trademark brand of heart-wrenching humanity. The story revolves around an aging professional wrestler (Mickey Rourke) struggling to come to terms with his mortality and livelihood. Rourke delivers a tour de force peformance, brimming with incredible depth and soul which will almost certainly garner him an Oscar nomination -- if not win.

BLUEBERRY

Folks, BLUEBERRY is an instant classic. I have seen it over a dozen times and it just keeps getting funnier and funnier. Randall Park and Marques Ray are brilliant, delivering performances with expert comedic timing and sincere warmth.

THE DARK KNIGHT

The film is masterful in its execution, both in terms of scope and theme. Rarely do we see such intelligence in a Hollywood blockbuster, giving us unbridled action with thought-provoking reflection on its violence. Heath Ledger will definitely receive a posthumous Academy nomination for his riveting performance. And Christian Bale, as always, does not disappoint. On its way to grossing a billion dollars, I'm sure you'll be seeing this film soon.

RED CLIFF

In Beijing, I was able to catch part 1 of John Woo's latest historical epic, RED CLIFF. The film is based on events during the Han Dynasty and stars Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Hu Jun, Lin Chi-ling, and Zhao Wei. Although the battle sequences were stunning, I felt underwhelmed by the story and its characters. Maybe I've seen too many of these types of films, but I was hoping for something more original... even so, I'm looking forward to seeing how it ends in part 2.

THE BOAT

Vietnamese Australian author, Nam Le, recently published his first book, THE BOAT. The collection of short stories spans the globe, from the slums of Columbia to the streets of Tehran, and has been getting rave reviews across the literary spectrum. I was deeply moved by his first story, Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice. Give it a read.

QIU HAO WINS WOOLMARK

Qiu Hao - a young, Shanghai fashion designer has just won the prestigious Woolmark Prize. The award puts him in the company of such fashion icons as Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren, and Giorgio Armani. Check out a recent WSJ article on emerging Chinese designers here.